


Common Connections

by galacticmistake



Category: Wander Over Yonder (Cartoon)
Genre: Ableism, Ableist Attack, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Bisexual Lord Hater, Boarding School, College, Deaf Character, Deaf Wander, Dream Sequence, F/F, Fluff, Gay, Gay Wander, Homophobia, Homophobic Attack, In a sense, LGBTQ Character, M/M, POV Bisexual Character, Romance, Stabbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-17 06:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16089629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galacticmistake/pseuds/galacticmistake
Summary: On my first day in this new school, I saw a kid play the banjo in the commons. Little did I know that he and I would end up as more than friends. (Hater POV) (Also on Wattpad)





	1. How It All Began

It all started at lunch. Navigating this school was hard enough because of everyone just brushing me off and refusing to help me, but everyone in one room? Who knew how it would turn out? 

Well, in short, it was only an assassination away from World War 3, in a metaphorical sense. Pure chaos. There was food flying everywhere, yelling, screaming, shoving, but I'm surprised that no one was killed. I started walking towards the back of the room, attempting to find some peace and quiet. 

And that's when I heard him. 

Well, not really him, but his banjo and the last few chords of "Can't Help Falling In Love With You." What a beautiful song for such a beautiful guy. 

The way his apricot colored, shoulder length hair fell in front of the honey tinted frames of his almost perfectly circular glasses. And his freckles. Oh God, his freckles. There were so many all over his face, neck, and arms. They covered his skin, which reminded me of raw silk, purely based off of the color. Although, it did seem very smooth. But, what stood out most was his outfit. Sure, the grey tennis shoes and white socks weren't too extreme, but the way his sanguine shirt draped over his jet black long sleeved undershirt and his phthalo blue jeans. 

I couldn't stop looking at him. When the song ended, my heart stopped for a brief second. 

"Honestly, if you keep staring at him, I'm not going to be too happy."

I whipped my head around and saw someone else. She first struck me as intimidating, what with her magenta mohawk and multiple piercings all over her face. Her skin was much darker than the boy's, but her eyes were a sea foam blue, which cut straight into my soul. 

"I... I didn't mean to stare", I stammered, "It's just... the music..."

"Heh. I understand. That's what draws a lot of people over here. Folks call me Sylvia, by the way. My banjo plucking pal over there is Wander." She held her hand out, which was encased in a bright blue fingerless glove. 

"Hey. Everyone just calls me Hater, I guess." I held out my hand, only for it to be squeezed. 

In that moment, "Hips Don't Lie" was being played on the banjo by Wander, and I had no idea how to respond. 

"So, Hater. Where'd you get such a name?" Sylvia pondered. 

"No idea. Apparently, when I was born, I looked super upset. Not to mention the fact that I was constantly bullied because of my resting face," I admitted. 

The bell for 4th period rang. As everyone got up and walking, I just stayed put. I could not get trampled today. 

As the crowd died down, I bolted. Being late was not an option anymore.


	2. A Peak in My Curiosity

Finally. Homeroom. Only this class and then I get to finally see my dorm. Sweetness.

I was hesitant to walk into class, mainly because I was new, but also because I definently stand out from the rest of the school.

I'm very tall, standing at around 6 foot 2 (and that's just an estimate) and also very pale, which makes my neon green eyes pop that much more. At this point, with all of the running around I've done today, my brown hair would be stringy and most likely unattractive. Not to mention the holes in my dark blue jeans, the stains on my red and black hoodie from cigarette ashes and soda colored with artificial colors, and my black, muddy converse. 

Then, I saw him again. He was way shorter than me, almost like a child's height. I followed him into the class, and that's when I noticed something odd. 

When he walked in, the teacher gave him a packet of sorts. It astounded me. How could something probably sensitive just be handed out like that?

The bell rang. I stood by the teacher's desk. I could feel the eyeballs of everyone in the classroom burning into my soul.

"Alright," the teacher began, "before we begin, some introductions are in order. This kid transferred here from out of district, so he doesn't know any of you."

"I met like maybe 2 people at lunch," I admitted.

"Aside from them. Now, just tell the class your name and a fun fact about yourself, if you'd like."

I'd rather shoot myself in the foot with an assault rifle than tell anyone anything about myself.  But, in the interest of all of my peers, I did. (No, I didn't shoot my foot.) 

"So, yeah. Everyone calls me Hater and... um... a fun fact about me... I have a desire to rule the world, I guess."  
Oh, God, someone kill me now.

"Welp," the teacher said, "that's interesting. Well, normally, I'd have you sit in the front to keep an eye on you, but since I have 2 students who need to be in the front, you'll sit behind Wander, that way I can still check in."

I took my seat. To be honest, if the whole class was just staring at the hair of pretty boys, I would pass with honors. But, alas, the class was 9th grade honors English. 

After a few minutes, I tried my luck at getting his attention. Just a light tap on the shoulder wouldn't hurt, right? 

I didn't. Despite what most might think, I actually don't touch people unless I know at least their name. That, and respecting personal boundaries is one of my many golden rules.

So, I just decided to talk to him.

"Hey. Wander," I whispered to him.

No response. So I tried again at a normal volume.

"Yo. What's going on, dude?" I implored him.

Still no response. That's when Sylvia turned around to me.

"Yeah, no. Not gonna happen. At least you tried, though," she said to me.


	3. Meeting the Roomate

Finally. After quite a humiliating first day, I got to see my dorm for the first time. I wasn't expecting much, and that's exactly what I got.

Standard room if you ask me. Two beds, two dressers, two desks. All parallel to each other. Well, almost parallel.

My side of the room was plain and packed. I hadn't had time to unpack and decorate. The other side, however, was an organized mess. Papers everywhere, an unmade bed, graphs on the walls.

I wanted to pick it up and reorganize it so bad. But that's when he walked in.

He was short, shorter than Wander, actually. He also wore a ROTC uniform: khaki shirt, black slacks, black dress shoes. His hat was at his side. His skin was a pinkish-white, although it was more pink. Gelled back blonde, almost white hair. An eye patch that resembled the void. One blood red eye. 

"So... you're the new roommate, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah." I replied. "Why?"

He marched straight up to me, backing me into the graph-covered wall. Despite being so small, he was quite intimidating.

"Ground rules for living with me," he backed off of me physically, but not verbally. "1: Do. Not. Touch my stuff. For any reason. Whatsoever. 2: You are only to call me Commander Peepers, Commander, or Peepers. Nothing else. 3: If you're going to listen to music, that's cool. Just wear headphones or something. I don't want to hear any of it. 4: Don't interrupt me. No matter what. Other than that, just try to stay with in the school's code of conduct and we'll be cool. Capiche?"

"Sure..." I muttered, not like I knew what capiche means. "Hey, I know I just moved in and all, but can I get something off my chest?"

"If you want..." he sighed. "What is it?"

"Well, earlier today, I met this boy, right? I kinda like him, but I don't know much about him. And I want to, don't get me wrong, but there's something in the way, and I don't know what it is."

"It's probably just your nerves. Just talk to him and get this figured out. You never know, he could feel the same for you."


	4. Oh Dear

A whole week had passed since I first met him. Within that week, I found out 7 new facts about him.  
1) He loves theatre, and is actually cast in the school's newest production.   
2) In addition to banjo, he also plays piano, ukulele, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar.  
3) He's a huge nerd for Star Wars.   
4) He's a dedicated Shakespearean.   
5) He plans on majoring in either Geography, Tourism, or Secondary Education.  
6) He has a job at the local supermarket.  
7) He's vegetarian. 

Nothing extraordinary, I know, but cool nonetheless. 

Anyways, exactly a week after meeting him, I accidentally made him reveal his deepest, darkest secret. In the hallways on the way to Homeroom, I saw him and Sylvia walking together, as normal. But, something seemed strange. The two were using their hands a lot. Some new form of jive, I guess? Oh, well. I walked over to him, more confident than I have been.

"So, what's poppin?" I asked him.

He looked at me like I was speaking Greek.

I tried again. "How you doin'?"

No response. Same look. 

Not knowing what to do, I kneeled to his level, thinking that I was too tall for him to see me. "Come on dude."

He pointed at his ear in frustration, mouthing "I can't hear you."

"Wait. Why? I spoke pretty clearly, didn't I?" I foolishly asked, thinking all the noise in the hall was causing the miscommunication.

He just turned around, faceplanting onto a nearby locker. 

He shouted, which honestly shocked me and everyone else in the vicinity, "I'M DEAF!"

It was at that moment I knew.

I screwed up.

**************************************

Sylvia pulled me aside after homeroom.

"If I can be honest," she said, "you need to be talking to Wander right now, not me. At least you're empathetic."

"Yeah," I admitted, "I just need to know how to make it up to him, you know?"

And right on cue, Wander popped his head through the door, staring at me. This was it. My moment. I walked over to him.

"I'm sorry."

He just shrugged. It seemed as though he had gotten over it.

No grudges held.


	5. The Realization

I ran back to the dorm and fell onto the bed. After a split second of peace, I started screaming into my pillow. Peepers marched in and saw me.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

I didn't want to face him and tell him. I thought he might be one of those homophobic types. 

"Dude. Come on. You can trust me."

"Ya sure?" I pondered, turning around to face him.

"We share a dorm room. You can tell me anything."

An awkward couple seconds of silence followed. He did have a point, but that didn't quell my anxieties.

"So... you know that boy," I started, "the one that I've been talking to for at least a week. The one in my homeroom class?"

"What about him?"

"... I love him."

"... You what?"

"I love him. Like, I have feelings for him."

"Ok. How do you intend on getting him?"

"Huh?"

"You want him, right?"

"Yeah, but like, only to date, for now."

"Ok... but, still. Trust me. I may be as straight as a line, but I know how to get people who or what they want."

And, somehow I knew that this would only go well.


	6. How I Finally Got Him

To make a long story semi-short, my first 2 flirting attempts went over as well as the sinking of the Titanic.

My first attempt was 2 days after my realization. Before I saw Wander, I bought him a discount bouquet and a teddy bear, only to go meet him at lunch with him holding a jack-o-lantern shaped box of chocolates and a bouquet of lillies. He shoved both into my chest before running away.

A week passed before I tried again. This time, I talked to Sylvia to get some pointers. Only issue was: she was trying to get the girl who sits behind her in homeroom. And, she asked me for advice. Oops. Anyways, she showed me how to sign, "Do you want to date me?" 

The next day, I was set. I had a plan. Step 1: Meet Wander at lunch, as was the usual. Step 2: Surprise him with vegetarian take out. Step 3: Surprise him again by signing, "Do you want to date me?" Step 4: Profit (JK). Even if I could, I wouldn't want to make money off of this. It's a moment too personal for monetary gain.

When lunch came, I was confident. Takeout in hand, walking toward the usual table, everything seemed ok. Key word being seemed. I saw Sylvia with a bouquet of flowers and an envelope. She was probably planning something big as well.

Then, a girl with a white mohawk came walking towards Sylvia, noticing the flowers. She sat down next to Sylvia and took the envelope. Upon opening it, her jaw dropped.

"WELL, DUH! WHY DO YOU THINK I HANG OUT WITH YOU SO MUCH?"

There went my chance.

I finally reworked my plan come homeroom. I still had the takeout, and the sign was still fresh in my memory. Today would not be lost.

Thankfully, we had the last 15 minutes of class to screw around. There was my chance. I made sure to stand right in front of his desk, that way he could see that I had practiced this sign until my hands bled.

He looked up at me with his cocoa powder brown eyes staring at me, intrigued. Almost as if he knew what I was going to say.

So I set the takeout box on his desk. And then I asked him. Everyone was watching.

He said yes.


	7. Shaken to My Core

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all. Just a quick warning, this chapter contains quite a bit of ableism and a physical attack based on such. So, feel free to skip this chapter if you're sensitive to that.

A couple of months passed since we started dating, and honestly, not much happened. It's not like Wander or I are very social, so we didn't go to homecoming or the Halloween party in Awesome's dorm. Nothing really happened until December.

It was a Tuesday, nonetheless. I was walking back to Drag Club from Homework Club, minding my own business, waiting for him. Luckily, I knew what Wander was wearing. He had texted me a pic before lunch so I knew what to look for. Apricot hair in a tight, yet messy bun, tight orange tank top, black booty shorts, black tights, and short, mocha colored boots with a 2 inch heel. Typical Wander.

It was when I saw Awesome that my stomach dropped. He's very easy to recognize. His iconic shark face hoodie covers his creme white skin, painted with purple eyeshadow and red lipstick. Only, something seemed off about the way he walked. It felt like he had a weapon in the pocket of his hoodie, and he could strike at any moment.

I just stood by the wall, not wanting to seem suspicious, but that just made it worse. Because I saw him back a student into a corner.

"Now, listen up, idiot," he yelled, "you think you're special by pretending to be gay and have a nonexistent disability, but I know the truth. No deaf person I know can play instruments."

Oh, God. There were quite a few kids in the school with hearing difficulties, so I had no idea who he was talking to. But it only got worse from there.

I heard punches land, causing what sounded like a broken nose.

And then I saw the silver gleam of a switchblade. It had clicked open prior to the punches, but that alone caused me to run away in fear, as if I would be attacked next.

Then, I stopped in my tracks when I heard a scream. It didn't sound like it came from fear. Instead, it sounded painful.

I couldn't stand any more, so I left.


	8. Does He Still Love Me?

Wander hadn't texted me back for the rest of the night. I was worried, but I couldn't let my roommate find out.

So I hid in my bed and cried myself to sleep.


	9. Clarity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Graphic Description of Violence, Mention of blood

I saw Sylvia and her girlfriend at lunch the next morning. The 2 looked fairly disheveled, almost as if they hadn't slept. Sylvia's hair was unkempt and her clothes were covered in blood. Her girlfriend was still in her pajamas, but her hair was in its traditional white mohawk.

"Sorry for leaving you in the dark last night," she said to me. 

"Honestly, it was probably a good thing," I lamented, "knowing the general hysteria of the school today. What even happened?"

"You'll find out soon."

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Homeroom was only a few seconds away, and yet that bell took forever to ring. The classroom, which was normally upbeat and full of chatter, was now eerily quiet and suspicious. Nobody talked. Everyone was either on their phones or looking at the blank chalkboard.

The bell rang. The teacher wasn't there. It set all of us off. The people behind me started speculating about what was going on.

And then the professor ran in, holding a sheet of paper.

"Sorry I'm late, class," he said, "a rather abrupt change in plans. Originally, we were going to pick out our winter break reading today, but, as you'll see in the announcements soon, we'll hold that off until tomorrow."

The projector turned on, displaying the screen used to show the announcements. On screen, the principal sat with a disgusted look on her face, but her eyes were filled with sadness and regret. 

"Good morning students and staff. I do not wish to deliver this news, but I feel as if it will provide some answers. Now, as some of you know, last night at around 4 pm, an attack took place outside of one of our student-led clubs. The student attacked was stabbed in the appendix and slashed on the inside arms and face. Luckily, the student is alive and will be returning soon. Some of you are wondering who the student is. Well, now we have an answer." The picture cut to another picture, but this one had a more profound effect on me.

It was that apricot hair that I had grown to love. I knew who it was. 

And it all made sense in that very moment.

Finally. A sense of clarity.


	10. Soothing Dream

I knew tonight was an early night. Coming to terms with everything that had been going on, I just didn't have the brainpower to do homework or eat. Yes, it was a spark of clarity, but it wore me out wondering why Awesome would do something so horrible. So, in a moment of exhaustion, I deleted him from my contacts and unfriended him on my social media. That was the last thing I remember of being awake.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

I found myself in a dream. I knew because it was sunny with clear skies, as opposed to the grey, cloudy sky of the coming winter. A cherry blossom tree bloomed on a hill in the distance, and I saw him. He stood by the tree, wearing the outfit he wore on the day we met (without the glasses), holding his hands out to catch the falling blossoms. 

I walked towards him, hesitant, yet also loving. My steps felt lighter than air when I finally got to him, as just being in his presence was enough to wash away any anxieties I had about anything. 

We said nothing to each other. Just being with each other was enough.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

The clock read 2:30 am when I woke up. Coincidentally, when I opened my phone, a message from the one that appeared in my dream. I could tell from the text that he couldn't wait to see me again, and that was all I needed at that moment.


	11. Always Welcome With Me

I couldn't wait until lunch. To have his warmth against my chest. To feel his hair in between my bony fingers. Just.... him. I couldn't really describe how I felt. 

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

He sat at the lunch table sleepy-eyed and soft, but I didn't care. I probably woke him up when I barreled towards him with pure joy, but he didn't notice. When he could tell it was me, he hugged tighter, as if he missed me as much as I missed him. He knew. He felt it. 

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

By the end of the day, it was much calmer. Almost everyone had left to go home for the holidays, therefore, the halls weren't as hectic as usual, and it was actually quite soothing.      

However, my peace was quickly interrupted by the strumming of an ukulele and the singing of a foreign Christmas tune. Not that it wasn't peaceful, it just sounded out of place. Yes, it was Christmas themed, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what language it was in. 

When I walked by the room of origin, it all made sense. The song was "Mele Kalikimaka", but to be honest, it wasn't sung very well.  To be fair, though, the voice singing it while simultaneously strumming an ukulele had, like, 0% hearing, but I digress. 

I walked into his room and sat next to him on his bed, setting my suitcase at the foot of the bed. He looked fairly upset, as if there was some kind of internal war. 

"You alright, babe?" I asked.

"Not really," he signed, "Everyone else has somewhere to go for the holidays. I'm all alone."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Let me ask my mom if you can come with me."

I shot my mom a quick text asking if I could bring him home with me for Christmas. She said that I could and that she wanted to meet him in person anyways. So, I turned to Wander.

"Get a bag packed." I told him. "My mom said you can come with me over the holidays. She'll be here in about 2 hours."

His eyes lit up like brightly colored fairy lights under the snow. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Nothing can replace the soothing feeling of your significant other asleep against your shoulder while watching the snow fall on a long drive home.


End file.
